“Something crazy has been achieved.'' Game programmer David Darias checks the screen during the release of “Saviorless,'' the first Cuban game on an international video platform, in Havana on April 2. . —AFP
HAVANA—Cuba's first independent video game launched internationally this week after its creators leveled up from an epic real-world quest to fight sanctions, battle internet connectivity demons and overcome economic turmoil.
Saviorless is a hand-illustrated 2D game that transports players into a dark fantasy world where they battle monsters, solve puzzles, and unravel the mysteries of the Isle of Smiles.
Like the characters, creators Josuje Paglieri and David Darias had to overcome numerous obstacles to achieve what at times seemed impossible on the communist island. .
“This project was born at a historic moment,” said Paglieri, a graphic artist who first came up with the idea in 2016. At the time, relations between Cuba and the United States were thawing under President Barack Obama.
The initiative received support from American foundations and crowdfunding, and Pagliery traveled to the United States, where his dream of creating an independent Cuban video game received media coverage.
At the same time, the internet in Cuba became available on mobile phones in 2018. Previously, internet access was only available in public places for a hefty fee.
This has significantly reduced connection costs. But this “bright period” was followed by a “perfect storm to cancel the project,” Paglieri said.
sanctions
Political tensions have returned under US President Donald Trump, who has tightened economic sanctions.
The first programmers tasked with developing the game emigrated, and Cuba plunged into its worst economic crisis in decades after the pandemic, marked by shortages and power outages.
“Instability characterized this project throughout its development,” says Darias, 35, a former professor at the University of Havana who now works from home as an independent programmer.
Financial constraints, disputes over the game's name and technical challenges all presented obstacles for the island nation, which has been embargoed by the United States since 1962.
Their software didn't always work on slow internet connections, sanctions-banned programs required connecting through a VPN (virtual private network), and power outages complicated backups.
“The worst thing that happened twice was that I lost not only the last job I had done, but also the week's worth of work,” said Darias, who experienced a power outage during the backup.
After four years of work, finances dried up and hundreds of letters to international publishers went unanswered, the two friends decided to write a free “in order to leave at least a trace of all our efforts'' “We decided to demonstrate this,” Paglieri said.
conquer your dreams
That's when Dear Villagers, a games publisher based in the south of France, took note of the Cubans' efforts and decided to help them “make their dreams come true,” said company founder Francis Ingland. he told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“We've always had a desire for original projects. We love the artistic touch and the game spoke to us,” he added, adding that the two have “achieved crazy things.” praised the developer's tenacity.
Luis Antonio Noa, a 27-year-old who runs a YouTube channel dedicated to gaming, said the project has become something of a “legend” among Cuba's gamer community because it took so long to come to fruition. thing.
Carlos Oscar Anaya, 29, a partner on the channel, said that while Cuban gamers mainly play free games, pirated games, and domestically produced games, Cuban video games are becoming “more popular.” He said he is used to being “educational.”
“'No Savior' [is] “It's a game with a dark plot that only aims to entertain,” he said, emphasizing its “beauty graphics and music.”
He now hopes the work will “reach a wide audience and put Cuba on the video game map” around the world.
